Why house sitting works

House sitting is gaining serious momentum around the world as one of the preferred ways for people to live and travel.

So why has it become so successful over recent years? And what is making it so popular when a few years ago most people didn’t even know what the term meant?

To start with the obvious reason – it’s free.

If you own or rent a home and need a sitter, using Aussie House Sitters won’t cost you a cent. And if you’re a house sitter, it means the opportunity to explore new destinations while staying in free accommodation – with a few responsibilities such as caring for the home and feeding the pets.

Some people are now choosing to house sit full time as a way of life. Consider how much your living expenses are each year – think rent (or mortgage), electricity, gas and maintenance costs. As a house sitter, you don’t need to pay for any of these. 

House sitting works not only because it’s free, but also because it’s easy, and getting signed up to Aussie House Sitters is simple. To be a sitter, you simply register your details, make the membership payment – and you’re good to go. 

House sitting is not just a great way for sitters to explore new places, it’s also a highly beneficial arrangement for homeowners, especially those with pets. 

Homeowner Margo from Canoelands, NSW says,

‘We have a very old ridgeback, Jerry, and an even older cat, Toby, who is a rescue. The thought of putting them into a kennel or cattery was just too heart breaking; it even put us off wanting to go on holiday. Then some friends told us about house sitting. Being able to leave Toby and Jerry at home and not having them stressed out in an unfamiliar environment – well that was just so appealing.’

But what if you don’t own any pets?

Long-term Aussie House Sitter, Mike from Sydney says, ‘I’ve looked after many homes where there were no pets. People just want their house or apartment to be lived in. Not just to have the mail collected, and plants watered, but for there to be a presence in the home – so people can see the house is not unattended for weeks on end.’

While it all sounds very straightforward, how do you actually find house and pet sitting opportunities?

Well, that’s the reason we founded Aussie House Sitters - to provide a platform for homeowners and house sitters to connect. After the sitter or homeowner registers on the site, they can immediately start making contact with each other. After that, all the details of the sit are negotiated between the homeowners and the sitters. For example, the dates need to be specified in a homeowner ad (sometimes the homeowners are flexible with the dates they can travel), and there needs to be a discussion around the way the owners wish to be contacted while they’re away.

In the house sitting world, there’s a lot of flexibility – another reason it is so successful.

And the best part of house sitting?

‘For me as a house sitter, it’s the knowledge that I’ll have somewhere comfortable to live, and that I’ll be in someone’s home with the space already set up,’ says Mike.

And for homeowners? ‘Peace of mind,’ according to Margo, ‘For us it’s knowing the animals are safe and happy at home.’ 

So, whether you’re a homeowner going on holiday or a house sitter wanting to explore new places, house sitting will save you money – which is a win-win for everyone.